To put pressure on the Inter-Ministerial Committee which would meet on Thursday for the second time to address the concerns of the Block Grant college lectures, thousands of lecturers and employees of the 488-category BG colleges on Wednesday held a massive demonstration in front the State Assembly.
Various other teachers and lecturers’ bodies and civil society groups supported the demonstration.
The lecturers, along with All Odisha Non-Government lecturers’ and Employees’ Association (AONGlEA), have been on a marathon demonstration at lower PMG Square for last two weeks demanding abolition of the BG system and implementation of full Grant-in-Aid (GIA).
They have announced to boycott Plus II and Plus III examinations and answer paper evaluation if their demands are not met with at the earliest.
“The first Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting chaired by Finance Minister Pradip on February 15 has remained unsuccessful. We hope that the second meeting of the high power Ministers’ panel scheduled for tomorrow will come up with solutions,” said 488-Category BG College Teachers’ and Employees’ Coordination Committee general secretary Atal Bihari Bal.
There are about 15,000 teachers and employees in the 662 and 488 aided colleges getting BG across the State.
On Tuesday, about 8,000 members of AONGlEA had taken out a candle-lit march from lower PMG to Ram temple praying for good sense to prevail on the part of the Government.